Lake Trip!

Two trips down and one to go. (What was I thinking?)

The trip up the lake was terrific, if not exactly restful. We took an afternoon ferry from Comox on Tuesday, meeting by pure chance our friend Sheila who came and sat with us and cooed over Gwen. We had a nice visit with her, marred only by the yokel who stormed off after Gwen had been crying for a solid 10 minutes, throwing a comment about duct tape at us as he left. We all mockingly agreed that yes, we loved hearing the baby cry and scream, and it just had not occured to us that others might feel differently. Dumbass.

After the ferry docked, I followed Sheila to Kat's car, which also contained the incredible Ira and the radiant Rachael! I even got to hold Ira for a moment, confirming to myself the amazing fact that yes, I have already forgotten how to hold a newborn. All the cliches are TRUE. In any case, Ira is a wonder, and his mother is a hero, and somewhere in there I got to give Kat a hug too, and then it was off to the lake in my Dad's van.

Gwen had no problem on her first boat ride, and we all chuckled at how adorable she looked in her lifejacket. It was great to finally arrive at the cabin and unload our gigantic backpacks, change into cooler clothes, give Gwen to her adoring grandparents, and dip our tired feet in the cool lake.

The next day, Sara and her boys arrived. Oh my, but those boys are busy. (Note for non-parent-types: when people say kids are "busy", it means they are "FULL OUT CRAZY WHIRLWINDS OF MADNESS AND HYSTERIA". But, you know, in a good way.) I had looked forward to having some good visiting time with my sister, but it was hard to do when one or the other or the other other of the three kids was always demanding our attention. Still, we did have a good time together.

Chris was an absolute hero. He took care of Gwen for a couple of hours each day so that I could have time to visit with the grownups or hang out with my nephews. I played "War" and went on a couple of boat rides with Andrew, and amused Scotty with my willingness to pour ice-cold lake water on my head. I also got to spend time with Karin, an old friend I hadn't seen in a while.

Gwen slept well during the night, especially since I was co-sleeping with her and thus the mid-night feedings required only a few snufflings on her part to get the message across. Naps were not so great, as we were without our usual naptime props (swing and stroller), and in an environment of great noise and chaos. I think the longest she napped in the entire four days was just over an hour (compared to her usual two).

The trip was sure different for me, as a parent. Typically, my lake time would be spent curled up in a lounge chair for hours on end, either reading or working on crafts. I can remember times when I would bring 3-4 books up the lake and it *still* wouldn't be enough to keep me entertained. This time around, I bought myself a bargain book specifically for the cabin trip, and managed to read about 60 pages of it in the entire four days. It will take some time to wrap my head around the fact that holidays are not about relaxing anymore!

We came down the lake yesterday afternoon, a very choppy trip due to the strong winds. Gwen paid no mind to the chop and actually fell asleep on the sort of trip that typically inspires stress and seasickness (lakesickness?). The ferry ride home was fairly uneventful, and then we were back in our own car and headed for home.

This morning, I woke up with Gwen in my bed and Chris not. He was already up, busily cleaning and laundering and organizing. "Who are you and what have you done with my husband?" I demanded, but no satisfying answer was forthcoming. I think he washed every washable item in the house today, including the cover for our futon, which he is selling this week (the entire futon, not just the cover). He also vacuumed and did the dishes. I got up and took Gwen to church, which didn't work out very well, and then took her for a walk, which worked out similarly poorly. She has not quite been herself today - Chris theorizes it's being back on dry land that is bothering her. Perhaps she's got the same vertigo I experience.

In any case, she is now in bed, which is where I will be soon. T minus 36 hours or so until we leave home again.